Wobblers Syndrome Treatment

Treated Successfully by Acupuncture!

GRANADA, Spain 2008

In mid-May 2008 Maria Lombide awoke to find her Doberman female ‘Titi’ could not walk and showed obvious signs of distress and illness. To her dismay Titi was diagnosed by three local Veterinary Surgeons with “Wobber Syndrome”. The vets had very little hope of any recovery for Titi.

However Maria was NOT going to accept this and looked for alternatives.

She found a Medical Doctor and Surgeon who also practiced Acupuncture and Natural Healing.

Dr Acuña has treated Titi since 22nd May, 2008 when she had to be carried to his surgery, till last treatment as of Friday 18th July 2008, where she leap out of the car at home, and ran – somewhat clumsily – up the 18 steps of the outside stairs!

This website is both a celebration of a healing process and a guide for those seeking assistance when their dogs are affected by Wobbler Syndrome.

Mitch Williamson

Maria Lombide Ezpeleta

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Is there a way to get in contact with your accupunturist so i may have mine try it ? We too noticed a week after we got Mouse that she had fallen and has not been the same. she still wants to walk and play with all of the other dogs. but it deffinitly is not easy for her. This is something I have not thought of

My Red doberman Penny was diagnosed with wobbler in april ,our vet also had no hope for her and just basically wanted to put her to sleep even though she could still walk but her back end was lower to the ground than it should have been.Penny was given steroids and we were told that if this didn`thelp her there was little else could be done.We left the surgery that day devastated but not without hope years before we had dobermans my mum saw a tv programme about a woman who had a doberman with wobbler who was treated with acupuncture and it worked.I telephoned all local vets but none could offer me alternative therapy or acupuncture and then by chance i remembered a training school we had visited for her that also had a vets in the building so i rang them and the lady vet gave me a number for a vet who was also an acupuncturist .It`s been 6mths now and we take Penny to Maeve her acupunturist every week and the results have been amazing she is now a different dog strong ,confident and can do most things that she used to do.Penny also has Reiki every other week along with light work and also supplements to strengthen her bones and help repair any damage and reduce any inflammation there may be.We also wouldn`t give up hope on our girl and looked for an alternative and it has worked i know that the acupuncture will be a life long thing for her but thats fine by us just seeing the results makes you feel like the richest person alive,goodluck and god bless xx kelly xx

Hi my 3 and 1/2 year old Doberman x – “Annie” has just been diagnosed with wobblers. We have had issues with her back end since she was about one and saw a number of vets. We thought maybe her hips – the x-rays showed great hips and no problems. Finally went to a chiropractor for horses and large dogs and that was her first thought. We have not had any issues other than a weak hind end – and difficulty getting up after heavy play. SHE LOVES TO PLAY – I have never seen another dog have more fun that her!! We have not seen any problems with her neck to this point. We have spent the last moth resting – but she just wants to get out and play . I am torn with what I should allow her to do and what not to do. One suggestion was to get a soft neck collar for her to wear while she is sleeping We have always treated our dogs with homeopathy-surgery is not an option – We are trying to keep it mostly alternative we will continue with chiro and I will look into acupuncture – right now I give her 2,000mgm. of MSM along with glucosamine and chondroitin . I have also found a couple of homeopathic remedies that seem to work – I give her a combination of rhus toxicodendron for nerve damage as well as hypericum perforatum for any pain (if interested in dosage let me know). I guess I am interested in knowing what to expect and if it is possible that this is a mild case – will it progress and what I should be looking for . Any thoughts and or suggestions would be gratefully accepted. It’s also nice to know that there is someone out there who understands. Thanks for your website I know it will be help full as we move through this journey.

“Hendrix” was resently diagnosed with wobbler syndrome and given steroid, musle relaxers,and pain medication. This treatment had a positive effect but it’s not really getting the job done. Surgery was suggested if the current treatment fails. H is big 105 lbs red doberman of 3 yrs, very strong and playful. I think recovery from an invasive procedure would be difficult for him. We’ve been told chiro may create other issues. How often is acupunture usally required?

Hello – my 6-8 year old dalmatian (rescued) has been diagnosed with wobblers. we did an MRI and it has cost me thousands just to get the bad news. the last few weeks since the onset she’s getting a tiny bit worse each day. I live in Portland Oregon US. Surgery option is on the table, I have found a great surgeon but not sure I want to go that route due to the usual factors….Money, risk, recovery for her.

She is in a neckbrace to try to stabilize things and prevent further cord damage until a decision regarding the surgery is made.

Nyxie got her first accupuncture treatment today. I have been told that after 4 or 5 visits we will know whether it is working for her or not. What is your experience with the timing of seeing improvement?

Hello , my name is michelle, and we have a 7 year old dobberman
named “mouse” she has been diagnosed with wobblers , Three
weeks ago she could at least walk but now she cannot walk and
just lays there, could you please recommend the Doctor you
use as we cannot find a acupuncturist in arizona …Please Help

Thank you – I’m just dazzled completely, by the recovery stories and videos I see online, usually about Dobermans. They bring me to tears! I am glad to find helpful resources like you folks online. I live in a very progressive city with many alternative physicians but my vets need to be educated more about the options with acupuncture. They also told me “Dalmatians don’t get wobblers” and one even said “only very young dobes get it” so even defining her diagnosis has been a struggle on top of it all. It must have been something they read in a textbook 20 years ago. I have printed out my “research” to give them to review. ; )

Nyxie is nowhere near paralyzed, I’ve caught it all in an early stage but it is still horrifying to me, because a month a go we were x-c skiing for miles with energy and enthusiasm. Now she is on bedrest, quite wobbly, and losing muscle, and it’s starting to affect her front legs with extreme muscle spasms.

Nyxie has had two acupuncture treatments (from two different vets, I think I will stick with the second one) and is off all the allopathic meds. She had been on prednisone, tremidol, gabepentin. Now, only a natural hydrocortisone and chinese herb.

Very happy to report – so far, no more of those awful shoulder muscle spasms!!! I thought it was her wobbler’s progressing but now I think it was all the allopathic meds suppressing her healing response.

Her energy level is high, but her stamina/strength quite low: a walk around the block, and she’s dragging her back legs.

Can anyone help me with my next course of action after the mri scan for wobblers,as i write this message he has been admitted into the queen mothers hospital for animals here in london.The vets here in my eyes are after the money,£6000 for surgery.Has anyone had success without the surgery,please let me know,anthony.

I can only repeat the ezperience with my own Titi. She was totally paralized. After 2 – 3 treatments of acupuncture she started to better and now she lives her normal life, even if somewhat clumpsy – and of course we treat her with care

Hi!Anthony,
I read this pretty late, but please contact Dr. Terry Durkes for a Gold bead implant the only known sucessful treatment for wobblers.Do feel free incase you need any further info.
Cheers
Vasantvkudva@rediffmail.com

I just wanted to say what a wonderful website with a lot of great information. I have been struggling since March with my 10 year old doberman Amber after finally taking her to a specialist who diagnosed her with wobblers. Now I did not have the myelogram which cost 2000.00 and then the surgery which was another 2500.00. My husband totally did not want to spend it since she is so old. There is not anything else wrong with her she is internally healthy with no cancer or kidney problems! Nothing at this late age. Since the diagnosis she has gone down hill considerably. She knuckled both her back feet and just started dropping and falling at the drop of a hat. I did put her on prednisone for awhile but that did not help either. She is now not walking at all. She does bear weight while standing but cannot get up on her own. I literally carry her 60lb body outside 3 times a day. I did some research and found a doctor who does gold bead therapy which is permanant accupuncture. I have talked with him and he said he could definetly help Amber but gave ma a name of another doctor who has learned his techniques who is closer to me. He has been doing this since the 1970’s. I am definetly considering it. Here is his contact info for anyone who is looking for something else to try.Dr. Terry Durkes, DVM

Website: http://www.durkesanimalhospital.com
I will let you know when I find out how it works. For now I have to just keep the husband from taking her to put her down until I can get this done. Hope this helps…..
Holly & Amber

My five year old Doberman mix, Ollie, woke up Friday morning and could hardly walk. The vet is not sure if it’s Wobblers or a pinched nerve in his vertabrae. He’s on a steroid that seems to be helping the inflammation, although he’s still unsteady. I’ll be taking him to the area veterinary college for a CT or MRI later this week. What types of questions to I need to ask after the diagnosis? I would prefer chiropractic or accupuncture treatment, but if surgery is a more successful treatment, I’ll consider it. Ollie is also very energetic, and although he seems to understand he can’t chase the ball, he still wants to. This is a great web site. Keep up the good information.

What type of questions you should ask after the diagnoses? The vet will advise you about medication, surgery, alternative treatments etc that exist in your country. . After that, ask all you can think about that might help Ollie; exercise, food, heating, type of floor, bed etc

Maria—But the first thing you should do is bandage Ollies neck; first cottonwool and then a firm bandage to make it stable Your vet can show you how to do that.

Thanks,
\We’ve found a local vet who specializes in Dobes and Wobblers. We are foregoing the expensive scans for right now. Dr. Connolly is not sure if it’s the onset of Wobblers or perhaps a spinal/neck injury, but here’s our current treatment plan.
First, a series of tiny injections (20-30) of B-12 into the spine and legs. Also, a B-complex shot. Both of these are to promote healing of any trauma. Next, a chiropractic adjustment. This week we are starting a regimen of Chinese herbal supplements to promote cervical healing. We are seeing improvements this week. The doctor wants to continue this for 4 weeks to see if there are positive effects before the using the collar and acupuncture. He is also knowlegable in implanting gold beads for the acupunture process.
Thanks for your website. I’ve met some really nice people around the country who’ve given me some great advice. And I’ve found a doctor who wants to help my dog and is willing to work with me (and my budget) to make him as comfortable as possible.
Also, we’ve made adjustments around the house to keep him safe and reduce chances of injury (elevated feeding, harness, rugs, and non-skid paw-protectors)

My great dane, Deuce, was diagnosed with Wobblers in December 2008. I had no idea what that was at the time, but he went downhill fast. He was 2 1/2 years old and was placed on steroids and pain medication. He initially recovered, but got so bad in February that he could not take one step without falling. At 144 pounds it was tough on him and me. The recommened surgery was ruled out because recovery is extremely hard for a dog this size and the success rate is so poor. I started researching on the internet and read about the gold bead implant surgery. I found a doctor in San Diego and decided to move forward. Deuce was not lame but could not control any of his limbs. I took him in for the surgery on March 13, 2009. The process took about 4 hours and he walked out on his own. During the first month he would show some signs of instability, but the doctor had told me he should continue to improve over 6 months. Today is July 28th and he is no signs of the illness. He wieghs 160 pounds now and plays very rough with his 2 sisters and 1brother. The permanent gold bead implants was a miracle for my Deuce and the cost was less than $1,000.

This site is helping me alot already…it’s always good to know you’re not alone! My 125lb doberman Titus was recently diagnosed with Wobblers too. I took him to an excellent vet who did x-rays and refered us to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Hospital. We went and after talking to the surgeons decided not to move forward with the dye injections, MRI or the surgery. The recovery time and uncertain results nixed that idea for Titus and me!
I did, however, start Titus on a diet plan that the nutritionist at the hospital put together for us and we are going to get Titus to a mere 108lbs, which will help tremendously.
I have an appointment for his first acupuncture treatment on Thursday with Dr. Terry Brock in Nashville. That is about an hour away from us, but there is is nothing I won’t do to help my dog!! We have a female, as well, and they are both so loved!
I will update you after his first treatment.
Thanks for being here,
Rene’

Hi Rene,
I too did not go the route of surgery for Amber my 11 year old doberman. In addition to the diet that you are putting Titus on make sure you feed him up on an elevation like a small table so as not to put any undue pressure on his neck. I also have Amber on some glucosamine from my wellness comany I work for. After 6 months of being on it and some accupuncture she is able to walk with her front legs again with some assistance from me holding her back legs. Also get your female down in weight and keep her on a diet without grains and lots of fruits and vegetables, and also feed her up on an elevation too. Prevention for her will be great! I hope this helps you. Good luck and keep me posted.

I just lost my best friend of 9 blessed years, Sophie – my soul mate, companion, healer, “boss” and child, a beautiful Fawn Dobie to Wobblers’. She had no pain, just the occasional instability of her hind legs when turning too quickly for the past year. She had no problem running like a greyhound, and jumping into the back of my SUV. This is the worst sight I have ever seen – sans all the abuse and mutilation of animals I see daily as an animal activist – because she was my world. She was jumping into the back of my SUV one day (small SUV, not a huge land barge) one day like always but she leapt too soon, slamming her abdomen into the bumper. She hit with such force that it knocked her backward and she landed on her back – on the pavement. She was SCREAMING in pain and couldn’t walk. I totally freaked out – but as usual, she took care of ME, and didn’t go into shock or even cry on the way to the Emergency Hospital, because I was crying and hyperventilating. On sono, it showed she had ruptured her bladder in two places and was hemorraghing (I already knew she was – I am an empath and can “see” or feel pain, where it is, etc. in animals and people, especially if I am deeply connected to them) and had emergency surgery, from which she recovered so quickly all the surgeons were astounded! About a month later, after 24/7 nursing her day and sleeping with her at night, (I hadn’t so much as left the house to check the mail for weeks) and COMPLETE healing, one day about 5 weeks after the accident, she could barely get up. She was in pain in the pelvic region – bad acute onset. She asked me to go to Rainbow Bridge that day. We always talked telepathically; we were together 24/7 from 6 weeks to just over 9 years. I had an in home euth DVM come and she passed peacefully on June 16th, 2010.

Sophie was my world, and I wanted to die when she passed. I cried in the fetal position for over a month in bed. Childless by choice, she WAS my child. (And my husband’s, who ADORED her, but her bond was 99.8% with me), we bonded from the first time we met at six weeks old. It was like we knew each other already.

Today is August 2nd, 2010. I just adopted a rescue Dobe a couple of days ago who has Wobblers‘, and she seems to be more affected. I wanted a special needs Dobe, since I am a (retired) nurse, my nature is to help. Most people cannot handle Dobes properly and have no idea what Wobblers’ is or how serious/deadly it can be. I feel her problem is at the C1-C2 level, very unusual location, but it makes sense, because it’s her front legs that are affected. I noticed today what feels like a small bony prominence in that region. I am a Reiki Master, so I performed some crystal/Reiki healing and massage. She loved it – she pushed her neck back into my hands to get more pressure. Her name is Lexie. I am sick of commercial foods, they are poison and my dogs, like me, have been vegan for years now. They thrive on vegan nutrition, contrary to the mindset that they MUST have meat to be healthy. 😡 I blame the “premium” commercial dog food she ate for 6 years for her cancerous tumor, her many lipomas, and for her Wobblers’. My male dobie, Gerhardt, had to be euthanized due to cancer/diabetes unresponsive to insulin 2 years ago. He was all of 8 years old. Cancer is NOT NATURAL IN CANINES! It’s the FOOD!!!!

I want to eliminate all the excess calcium, proteins, etc. that contribute to Wobblers’ and/or exacerbate it. I am wondering if anyone knows exactly what to feed; most of my friends feed brown rice, tofu, and veggies, with various seasonings for palatability and supplements like Missing Link, but they don’t have dogs with Wobblers’, and I have read not to feed any grains. Hating to sound stupid, but why not? It’s good protein, and it’s great fiber. I will NOT feed animal products – even human grade meat, fish, etc. is riddled with growth hormone, antibiotics, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, etc. Not to mention the immeasurable cruelty in animal ag – I will not support it. Dogs are OMNIVORES, and soy protein found in vegan dog foods like Natural Balance and Nature’s Recipe are excellent sources of protein without the steroids, fermentation, sources from euthanized shelter animals, discarded laboratory animals, slaughterhouse floor remains, etc. (The four Ds – dead, dying, disabled, diseased) that even the most expensive commercial dog foods contain, but these have many vits and minerals added. I would love to learn what has worked or not worked for guardians of Dobes in particular and I’m learning a lot here.

My new baby is 6 years old. Very mellow (but NOT lethargic!), doesn’t have a choppy gait, actually an extremely extended trot on her own, even when not leashed (harness, of course!). (She was shown for years). She LOVES to run and play ball and does so seemingly with no problem. Her gait is perfect, no parasthesia at all when she runs/trots. She either holds her neck at a 90 degree angle, when lying down and on her elbows or sitting, but when walking around the house she often does have her head down. I don’t sense a great deal of pain; I only adopted her a few days ago, and am giving her aspirin twice daily for now. Too much to tell.

I want her to live a LONG, PAIN FREE life. I will NOT put a dog through spinal surgery. It is way too painful and the odds are not in favor of a good prognosis. The other vertebrea can also begin to luxate, stenose, etc. as well, especially when symptoms are readily seen. Money is not the issue; pain is. acupuncture experience, alternative therapies, etc. I want to try acupuncture, perhaps gold bead implants, any effective alternative therapies, etc. Thank you all for your stories; it has given me hope. I just can’t lose another to this HORRIFIC disease. And SHAME ON THE PERSON THAT SHOWED HER – he bred her KNOWING she had Wobblers’!
That’s why I don’t believe in “responsible” breeders. 😡

Critical mass, or anyone in the Dallas/Ft. Worth/North TX area, do you know of someone who specializes in acupuncture, gold bead, etc. There are SO many frauds out there. I learned that from nursing for 12 years. That includes medical doctors.

I know that a couple years have past since your baby went off to the Rainbow Bridge,but I had to just send my baby boy onto the Rainbow in May I’m having a hard time moving on without him although he was a Great Dane unlike your baby being a Dobie I know that the way you felt is lie my feelings I spent 24/7 with my boy also. I’m going to a rescue over this weekend to help a dane with wobblers I want to adopt him but I’m afraid that I will have this pain again to quick an I also feel I’m not ready to have another. But on the other hand I feel that it may help me to get out of bed each day. I’m heart broken and can’t get on with my life. I just wanted to let you know that when you were in that pain I’m now in that same pain. It gives me comfort to know that you felt that way about your Fur baby as I do an I’m not alone.

My 13 month old English Mastiff, Lke Skywalker, has WOBBLER’S SYNDROME. He is able to walk and play but is weak in his back end. We live in the Seattle, WA area. Does anyone know of someone who does accupuncture for Wobbler’s Syndrome in the Seattle area? Thank you. Kathy

Hi Our beautiful 2 year old Lab/shepherd cross (Maddi) Has wobblers since the first of august and I am a CNHP(certified natural health professional). The vet put her on a steroid as I slowly weaned her off and replaced her diet with Organic sulfur(Young Living sulfurzyme) and good natural supplements.(she stayed stable for 3 1/2 months) She just recently started to lose her coordination even more and my wife and daughter are talking about putting her down. They have put her on heavy steroids again and I am upping her sulfur and adding enzymes + Raindrop technique –she is slowly coming back —would love to find somebody in minnesota that works with dogs and knows accupuncture?
Sincerely
Thomas from Minnesota

Dr. Susanna Ahrens (Suzy) received her undergraduate degree training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the University of Minnesota in 1994. In addition, she has received additional training in Veterinary Acupuncture through the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Ahrens has practiced medicine at the MVH for over 12 years, and has cultivated longstanding relationships with many of our clients and animal patients. Her special interests include dermatology, internal medicine, behavioral medicine and acupuncture. In her spare time, she is a local Hospice volunteer, and enjoys working on obedience training with her 2 high-energy Labrador Retrievers! Suzy lives with her husband, Steve, in St. Paul. They share their home with 3 cats Franny, George and Gracie and their 2 dogs Jodi and Abby.

Hi there,
Astrid is our 9 1/2 year old Doberman who has just been diagnosed with Wobblers after a neck x-ray. She has had her second acupuncture treatment at Kindred Spirits in Victoria, BC. I don’t see any information for Vancouver Island and so thought this could help someone else. Kindred Spirits can be reached at (250) 380-9611
Address : 1248 Fort St Victoria , BC , V8V3L2

Hi all !
My name is Kristina. My boyfriend and I bought our dog Quinn for a very pretty penny from a breeder when he was eight weeks old. Flew all the way from ohio :] He’s a very beautiful black mastiff. My pride and joy. We even have the same birthday ! On November 16th he tured one ! Just last week he started to walk funny, thinking it was a leg issue we took him to the vet ! Come to find out… wobblers. Devastated. i was willing to drop the six grand for surgery, till my family made me realize it was probably not the best choice.. seeing as its not a sure bet and he could still be in horrible amounts of pain.
I’m going to do anything else i can possibly do. Im thinking alot about this acupuncture. Im just wondering how long its suppose to help and do i have to continue sessions for his entire life.
Im very willing but i love feedback and would like to hear your opinons !
thank you ! love you all and your stories

Don’t give up! The Doberman Titi was completely immobile but after 10-12 treatments of acupuncture back to 85-90% normal. No pain but walked a bit stiffly. If you read or search these posts hopefully your find good advice on finding a Vet who does Acupuncture.

Where do you live? I’ll search myself.

Has the Vet positively diagnosed Wobblers?

Please clarify the diagnosis of Wobblers and surgery, sometimes to operate is a good option depending on Vet advice, if you wish to do this, then perhaps a second opinion is required, also know that Mastiffs are said to be prone to Hip dysplasia.

I live in Chesapeake Va.
I found one that is actually here, how do i know how good they are.
and all we got was xray- but hes dragging front paws now. it was 2800 for mri. just for more bad news and we did see two vets. both said same thing.

Hi everyone – happy new year. I posted early 2009, and have felt lucky overall with Nyxie’s mobility. After the first drastic downturn, then finding acupuncture and seeing some stability…things have been status quo for about 1.5 years. She’s slowly gotten more stiff on awakening, especially in colder weather. But I’ve been able to enjoy taking her on walks, sometimes 1/2 hour or even pushing it to 45 mins in the summer. I’ve tried to keep her as mobile as possible without crossing the line. If she starts to drag her feet or stumble usually a 10 minute rest is enough, then we continue on home.

This past month or so, she’s taken another downturn. The first signs were poop accidents! I find the back of my small hatchback is a perfect “kennel” and winters are mild in Portland, so she pretty much lives there when I’m out and about. I got out of a business meeting and was just heartbroken to find her covered in poop. It’s become a pattern and I’ve now got a kit in my car with towels, trash bags, gloves, cleaners, doggie wipes, etc.

Then the other day she went potty, slipped, and couldn’t get up. I rushed outside and helped her, and the morning passed without her wanting to move at all. I took her to my new vet (I stopped the accupuncture as it became too expensive, and she hit a threshold with improvement.) He prescribed rest and cortaba (methapred/asprin.) For the entire day she would not get up and I thought, this is the real deal now. I’ve got a paralyzed dog.

I slept on the couch to be near her and around midnight, to my sheer delight, she sat up to poke me with her muzzle, to go out. I have never been so happy to see that little spotted face!!! She went out and did her bizness. The next day, yesterday, she was a bit more mobile. Today, she went right to the gate and we did about a block.

I’m posting to say hello, and to give hope that the disease can have flare ups and downturns, but my dog has always amazed me with her little recoveries. I don’t know if she’ll bounce back to her old “normal”. I’ve had days when I just feel like I cannot deal with her care, being a single “mom” it’s overwhelming sometimes. But as long as she has vitality and wags her tail, I’ll hang in there with her.

Has anyone got any tips for the dogpoop situation? I got some diapers today – tried a different kind once before and she just tore it off. Things are more dire now so I’m going to give them another shot.

My current house is fairly wobbler’s friendly, minimal steps to get outside. It’s up for foreclosure auction 1/20 which … is another story. I might litigate. I just can’t imagine looking for a rental with my 2 cats and 50-lb special needs dog! We should all probably just live in a barn anyway.

My name is Bob. We live in Ft Lauderdale, Fl. Our 5 year old Giant Schnauzer, Buddy, was just diagnosed with wobblers. The mylegram shows a deformity in the first vertebrae from the neck between the shoulders. It is squared off and causing the spinal cord to become oblong instead of round when Buddy moves in certain positions. We were told that surgery is too risky and not recommended. The neurosurgeon said that he had to go through too much muscle and move the spinal cord twice to hone out the affected bones. buddy is currently on 10mg of prednisone and can walk pretty good, but gets awkward and clumsy when he walks fast or tries to run. His current condition is acceptable, but I want to get him off the prednisone. I fear the long term affects. My wife and I are just confused and upset because we don’t know what to do at this point. Buddy is such a special member of our family. We are devastated. We really need some guidance as to where to go from this point on. We are open minded and are willing to do anything to get Buddy well and off this prednisone and live a comfortable life. The neurologist said that Buddy is not in pain, but experience discomfort as he wobbles. Please help.

Maria [the owner of this website] had success with her Doberman, Titi, with acupuncture as an excellent helping treatment to Wobblers. Many American Vets do acupuncture use other alternative treatments. First ask YOUR Vet if HE knows of any of his colleague VETS that do Golden Beads or acupuncture.

Thank you,
I will follow up by asking the neurosurgeon if he can recommend someone, however from the list you gave me, there is a vet listed nearby that does acupuncture. Do you think it is a good idea to do acupuncture first and if it helps, then go to gold beads?
Thanks
Bob

hi its great to hear the great success storys on here just hoping that for my doberman phoebe who is 5 years old this could also be the case….phoebe has now been paralyzed since before christmas she had spinal surgery and is still recovering although its been 3 months now and she still cant even sit up alone her back legs seem to be improving slightly but everyday is a struggle she is currently having weekly phisio/hydro sessions but was wondering if anyone had some advice on what else could be done to speed up her recovery? any advice would be of great help to me thanks….Joanne

An update on Buddy:
We started both acupuncture treatments and cold laser treatments with a vet in Boca who began her work in South Africa. It is a miracle that we met her and she is God sent to both Buddy and us. Dr. Hack began the treatments and began weening Buddy off the prednisone. She added gabapentin to the mix of vitamin C, glucosamine, condrointin and Q10. She found the acupuncture not to be affective, but the cold laser is. Buddy is down to 45mg of prednisone a week and he is about 90% of full function. We take half mile walks, he plays, jumps on the couch and is in the best of spirits. Our goal is to get him down to 30mg of prednisone a week and keep him in his present condition. This is truly a miracle. Our prayers are answered through the care and concern of our new Vet, Dr. Hack of Boca Raton, Fl.

Well I just came across this site for the first time and it is very interesting and extremely touching to hear about so many people who really love their animals and would go to great lengths to help their ailments. I must confess, I too am in that category.

My beautiful boy ZEUS, a German Shepherd who will be 9yrs on April 25th, thats if we can make to then. I have made and cancelled 3 appointments to put my baby to sleep. He was diagnosed with Wobblers Syndrome 5 yrs ago. He too had all the symptoms above, and with tests and consults we went the surgery route. As I said it lasted 5 years of good health & happiness. Now it has returned with a vengence. His hind legs are now lame and I am devestated. The neurlogist treated him with Steroids and for a little while he improved. However, one morning he just woke up and was paralyzed in the back legs this past week..

It is hard. The neurologist said I have run out of options and that euthinasia is in the near future. I feel like I am trying to beat the grim reaper and Zeus is on death row.

It is exhausting turning, repostitioning, changing him, carrying him in a wagon, and it seems there is never enough slings and depends in site. BUT I will do anything if it will help his quality of life. The top half of him is still viable and he eats, drinks, and wants to play.

I just discovered accupunture and tomorrow is his first treatment. I, who is a nurse in the traditional medical field is slightly sceptic , but hearing these stories above, you have brought me hope.. Thank you

This site is a blessing. After an MRI at the fabulous NC State Veterinary Hospital followed by a spinal x-ray, my kind, handsome, loving 3-yr. old Doberboy (rescued at 13 months) is a confirmed Wobbler’s dog with 2 bulging disks in his neck. Lance has no indication of pain. However, poor rear coordination, especially on the right side, makes for slipping and sliding resulting in a couple of falls. Now the wood and tile floors are covered with area rugs and runners and the deck with large rubber mats. 10 days of Prednisone showed excellent results but being off them a week and Lance is back the way he was prior to that treatment. June 21, 2011, he begins acupuncture with a vet highly schooled in Eastern alternative medicine who has worked with 10 other Dobermans with confirmed or suspected Wobbler’s with success. Between her and the orthopedic surgeon (a brilliant vet in Cary, NC who did a titanium stabilization plate on the knee of our Lab) I rely on to guide Lance through this, my hope is that Lance will be able to run like the wind, play with his adopted Dobergirl sister and Labrador brother, hike in the mountains once again and get back to work. Our dogs are wonderful certified therapy dogs working with young children as reading buddies and the frail elderly and infirmed. I have never seen a better once than Lance – so giving of himself, reliable in any situation and always making sure he is available to those who need him. He’s also one who is glued to my hip and I can’t make a move at home without him being by my side. Your stories have given me hope. Like many of you, surgery for such a dog that lives for working and flying through the fields is not an option. Repairing a section of instability more than likely would result in the creation of more outbreaks down the spine. Finding compassionate and very knowledgeable vets is most important.

Hello everyone, i know i cant help everyone but my daughter and i had a fund raiser to purchase a wheel chair for a police dog. i was also donated found chairs. if i have one that fits i can help all i ask is for a small donation to help other dogs get chairs look me up on facebook Britton Munoz

Buddy, our Giant Schnauzer turned 6 on July 1st. He is now down to 30mg per week of prednisone. He is truly holding his own. We do two long walks a day and he gets around just fine. No more running and we do have throw carpets everywhere, but his spirit has never been so high. He goes every two weeks for cold laser treatments with Dr. Hack and seems to look forward to his day with her. He will never be 100 percent normal, but if he holds this pace, it will surely be a wonderful life. Thank God and Thank God for bringing Dr. Hack into our lives.

Here is an update on Lance, the 3 yr.old Doberman Pinsher diagnosed with Wobbler’s in June 2011. If he didn’t have an MRI I wouldn’t believe he has 2 ruptured disks in his neck and a compromised spine. Lance has had 5 acupuncture treatments with a vet certifed in various eastern medicine practices.
He has not been on Prednisone since his initial 10-day treatment.
We see an 80-percent improvement with his gate and each day he seems to become stronger, with very little instability in his right rear which has been his primary weakness. We’ve put down many rug runners in the house for him and he’s learned that if he stays on them he won’t slip.
He is back to long runs outside (monitored) and since his third acupuncture session, Lance has not fallen or had his legs go out from under him. He’s become so agile with no stiffness in his neck whatsoever.
He is back doing his volunteer work in a nursing home where he can work for a good 2 hours without tiring. He’s such a loverboy.
I encourage anyone whose four-legged child has Wobbler’s to find a veterinarian who is schooled in acupuncture. Lance absolutley loves going for his sessions. His recovery is miraculous.
Good luck to all.
Jeralie

This website is incredible and full of so much helpful content. I am writing in for my 11 yr old westie, Neve. Vets and neurologist can’t seem to diagnose him without an MRI ($2200) which we can’t afford. I know that his breed is not typical and there may not even be a case ever of a westie having wobblers but his condition, symptoms, and behavior completely coincide with Wobblers:
narrowing of vertebrae in neck (shown in xray), hunched stance, wobbly gait, slow/progresssive–started out as slipping on the hardwood floors, missing steps, to a drunken like state, to slowly not being able to control his legs, symptoms are symmetrical-his left side affected, no pain, alert and responsive, his paws will knuckle under and he doesn’t know to correct them

He was treated in August with acupuncture for 3 days consecutively. At the same time, his prednisone dosage was increased and gabapentin was added. But he made progress…finally stood up on his own which he hadn’t done in a week. However, it was not clear what it was that helped him. Since then he has only been on gabapentin and prednisone and has declined in mobility. He can no longer walk or get up on his own. Last week we had a new acupuncture treatment using electro stimulation and Neve was prescribed Double P II, cervical formula herbs. Within 2 days he was picking his head up, wanting to actually try to get up but couldn’t and had a few playful moments which he hasn’t had in many weeks. But by the 5th day that behavior seemed to diminish a bit. We go again this week for a second session. My question is how frequent should these sessions be? Is once a week enough? We just know that the meds have done nothing for him and now that he has started acupuncture and the herbs, we finally saw some progression. Sorry this so long…hard to sum so much info up! We would be forever grateful for any advice, info you can share with us.

‘Pacific Animal Wellness Services’ is a Vet that does ACUPUNCTURE AND many other alternative treatments (done by a qualified Vet) and for anyone desperately looking….they are located in Chemainus, B.C., in the middle-area of VANCOUVER ISLAND! They have website of the same name. Best of luck! 🙂

Hi!Mitch,
Pluto My Great dane of 7years began showing some signs of instability in his right hind leg and would limp occasionally, I brought this up with several vets in and around Mumbai (I am based out of Mumbai) but none of them could diagonise the ailment and a month ago his x’ray showed C5 AND C6 vertibrae malallingned, indicating begining of Wobblers, I have since put him of alternative treatment all running simultaneously.He is on 1800mg of Glucosamine+400mg of MSM,We are giving him Plumbum(Homeo medicine) and occasional dosage of carprofen.
Since we do not have any vets practicing acupuncture, I massage him daily with warm Mahanarayan(An auyrvedic propriety) oil+6drops of Eucalypyus oil.
I read about the Gold bead implant (the most promising cure for wobblers till date) but after speaking to Dr. Terry Durkes found none practicing it in India.
Looking fwd to any advice from you that will help my baby.
Cheers
Vasant

I have a 6 year old Doberman with wobblers.After a week with one treatment of acupuncture,laser and chiro he has amazed all of us with his recovery so far.We have a lot ahead of us but we are looking forward to getting good results. He was paraylized at first but is now moving along with gusto.We decided against surgery and went with animal chiropractor.Fingers crossed for the coming month.

Buddy, our Giant Schnauzer, developed Wobblers a little over a year ago. When he first started treatment, he went three times a week with three sessions each time. Acupuncture was alternated with cold laser on each session. He was on 140mg of prednisone per week at that time. It is nearly a year of treatments and he is down to 15mg of prednisone per week, 600mg of gabapentin per day, 600mg glucosomine per day and cold laser treatments every three weeks (3 sessions per treatment) He is our miracle boy. He walks over 1/2 mile a day. He doesn’t run much as when he runs slowly you can see the wobble, however when in a sprint he is straight and true. The medications don’t seem to have any side affects. His spirit is extremely high and he seems to love his lifestyle.

Dear Robert,
Mal effects of Prednisone will be visible sooner than later.
Steriods effects do show up with liver and Kidney functions, my advice would be to either go in for a gold bead implant (Dr Terry Durkes) which is a permanent accupuncture or go in for local accupuncture.

Sad to say that her wobblers has progressed to her font legs and in the past couple weeks she has taken a huge turn for the worse. I had tried a new vet who did electro acupuncture and although there was a quick improvement it did not last and now whe is worse than ever. I am sad to report I am talking to vet about end of life decisions. Its been a terribly confusing week deciding what to do. She cannot move on her own, is incontinent and I don’t know if I can care for her properly at this point. Shes more top heavy thanever, cant hold her head up at all. A batch of herbs has been mixed and I am torn regarding giving them a few weeks, or making the hard decision to let her go. She sleeps all day. Her demeanor is still sweet, which is the absolute hardest part of the whole decision.

Posted in Dec 2011 re my Doberman in Australia. Post No 45.He has finished his treatment all but 6 weeks ago.I can report that he is back to his normal self. No problems at all. In fact he has more energy now than before.We make sure that he does not jump down steps or play vigorous ball games like before,but his chasing the ball is still quite vigorous and Doerman rough. The acupuncture was a miracle I must say.To those with a problem with Wobblers .”Keep the faith and perservere” .We were agarst at first, but soldiered on and now we and the Doberman are looking forward to the next period of fun and Dobe madness.

Hi. My 5 almost 6 year old red male Doberman was diagnosed with wobblers yesterday. We are treating with NSAIDS and steroids right now. We are going back in 2 weeks to see if this helps. He has not had any scans done. I’m not totally convinced this is the correct diagnosis. He doesn’t seem to be having any problems with coordination. If he stretches to drink out of the 5 gallon auto water bowl his back legs shake, but they always have. He freaks if it bubbles. He doesn’t have any instability. We notice Sunday he had like turkey neck and neck pain. Took him to vet Monday. Turkey neck is gone, but he cries if you point his nose to the sky. Anyone else had neck pain with no other symptoms? We are also trying to keep him as inactive as possible right now. It is very hard because he is suck an active dog!

My 5 1/5 year old male Doberman (Varick) was just diagnosed by our vet with Wobblers Monday. He gave him a steroid shot and he is taking Novax. We are suppose to take him in 2 weeks. He has not had an x-ray or anything. He doesn’t seem to be showing any of the symptoms everyone is talking about. He has neck pain. If you point his nose to the sky he cries! Has anyone else started with only neck pain. His neck started hurting Sunday and he looked like he had Turkey neck. Turkey neck is gone now. He is also suppose to be as inactive as possible. This is hard he is a very active dog!

The collar is the first thing to do. Wrap cotton wool and then an soft-elastic bandage around the neck. Has your vet shown you this? Our bitch Titi was completely paralyzed, she couldn’t move even her toes. After 2 acupuncture treatments she started to move, after a week (5 treatments) – she crawled. After 2 weeks she could stand up.

That is my personal experience.

The vet will advise you about medication, surgery, alternative treatments etc that exist in your country.

No he didn’t. He just said if steroids, anti-inflamatories, and cage rest didn’t woke he would send us to a specialist about surgery. Surgery is not an option for us. He also has no symptoms just neck pain. Have you heard of that before. I don’t know of any acupuncturist in Arkansas USA

From Jeralie, Haven’t written in a while. Just wanted to continue to recommend acupuncture. Our red Dobie will be 5 in February 2013. While his condition has deteriorated somewhat, he continues to respond to acupuncture, is not in pain, but his activity now is just hand-walking and not being out in the yard with the other Dobe and Lab alone. (too much playing)
We are now trying a round of dexamethasone to see if it will help him become more stable. He’s doing well but gets wobbly after minor activity. He doesn’t know anything is wrong with him and it’s rare other people see anything wrong. We’re just giving him every opportunity to live a carefree and quality life. We would not consider surgery because he wouldn’t understand what was happening to him and we don’t want him to stress. He’s finally starting to take his special Chinese herbs with his meals. Hopeing that helps. Good luck to all and never give up hope.
Jeralie and Lance

Hello everyone! Looks like it’s been a long time since anyone has written on these boards, but I wanted to share my experience with our Great Dane, Guinness. He was diagnosed with Wobbler’s a few months before his second birthday. He was knuckling over at first and quickly declined within a matter of days to not being able to walk and falling over when he attempted it. After many consultations from many types of doctors practicing traditional Western medicine, we were left with only the options to do (expensive $7000) surgery with a minimum of a month crate-confinement after the the surgery, at least 6-8 months recovery time, and only a very low chance of success. Needless to say, we were at a loss for what to do. Being that my wife and I are very diligent researchers and knowledge seekers, we immediately went home and started to look for other alternatives. We found the gold bead treatment through the Great Dane Lady’s website (sadly, she has recently passed). We found the information for Western Animal Hospital in Indiana and Dr. Terry Durkes. After an initial phone consultation, he determined that Guinness was a perfect candidate for gold bead treatment. Faced with a 16 hour drive (we lived in Orlando) each way, we debated for about 30 seconds and decided to leave Sunday morning for a Monday morning appointment. Fast-forward to Monday 1pm – Guinness was able to walk under his own power out of the office! Since the treatment, he has been very active, though still not 100%. We have been feeding him a special diet of supplements, etc, to help aid in his recovery. One thing that we were not aware if is that the gold beads are touted as a “permanent” form of acupuncture. Guinness is now just shy of two years out of the treatment and is exemplifying slight knuckling of his rear feet (left more than right). We have started him on a treatment of regular weekly acupuncture regimen coupled with a combination of herbal treatments. We started with laser treatment for his hips as we though this may have been causing some issue. His walking improved quite a bit after this, but the knuckling over did not. So, after all this, could anyone give us some insight as to how long it took for noticeable effects after acupuncture, etc, for your Wobbler’s babies. Any and all help, feedback is appreciated! Thank you!

My last post was in October 2012 regarding Lance. Dexamethasone was a disaster for him. Reverted to only acupuncture after I found an incredibly sensitive and highly knowledgeable vet whose acupuncture approach has been all he needs. All veterinary acupuncturists are not equal. Lance has maintained a good quality of life ever since and is only on fish oil and Dasequine MSM supplements. No falling and he maintains pretty good strength and control. He gets his acupuncture treatments in our home every 2 to 4 weeks apart. He loves it. I should be so lucky.

Damien, a 7 year old male dobie was scheduled for euth at the shelter. He is a handsome boy, and has many years of life ahead of him. Two days ago I brought him in as a foster dog for the local dobie rescue. I figure he could hang out with my new tripod dobie puppy, and my two older dobie girls. He is in heaven…except for…he has wobblers. I have had dobies for years, even showed them back in the 1980’s. But this is my first case of wobblers. It is so sad for them. I call him my “drunken sailor” because he tries so hard to “hit” on the girls. I have read all your comments and think I will try the acupuncture first, and see where that takes us. We are located in Orange County California and I have heard of a few vets that do it. He is in a lot of pain, and it is in compressing on the spine between 6 and 7, and has calcification. The diagnosis is not good for him. I just wanted to know how many treatments does it normally take to see some results? Thanx for posting your journey…it helps so much!

I have a 6 year old German Shepherd that was diagnosed by MRI with Wobbler’s 2 years ago. I came home one day and he couldn’t stand up. He had cervical soling surgery in Janaury 2013 and did exceptionally well. He improved better than the surgeon ever hoped he would.

He was basically symptoms free for about a year and a half until about 6 weeks ago, he started being unsteady on his feet. A FB friend suggested acupuncture and I found a vet where I live (I moved about 8 months after his surgery to a different state). He went for about 4-5 weekly treatments and was starting to improve when we had a snow storm. All the sudden he couldn’t get up at all or even stand on his own. He wasn’t even that bad before surgery, even them he could get up with encouragement and walk with assistance of a sling but now he couldn’t even stand, and he’s over 100 lbs!!!

So I called the vet hysterical thinking I’m going to have to put him down, but we opted to put him on Prednisone and in 2 days he was up and going again!! I really don’t want him on Prednisone long as he really has side effects of constant urination, like EVERY hour he pees a lake!!!!! We tried to slowly ween him off it but had to put him back on it, he can’t go back to acupuncture until he’s completely off it for about a week.

He is still fairly young and I have over $10,000 in vet bills in just him!! He also has ED and had surgery @ 18 months and has done remarkable since, no symptoms at all!!

He improved after neck surgery better than the surgeon ever hoped he would! He went from being assisted to walk the day of sugery to day 3 post op standing for the first time when I went to see him to pulling the vet tech down the hall day 7 post op to go home!! Every follow up visited they were all just amazed at his improvement!! He said if any dog has the strength, determination, love for his owner and will to get better he said this dog does and said until he saw his remarkable improvement he wasn’t sure I made the right decision. Now I’m starting to wonder if it was fair to put him through all that. I thought he’d have a lot longer than a year and a half to 2 years of symptom free after surgery!!

He is also on Four Marvels and Recovery SA, both herbal supplements and Four Marvels is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory like Pred but without all the side effects but it takes a while to work.

Does anyone know if Chiropractic adjustments help?? I am willing to do whatever I can do to help him but he is a working dog and if his quality of life cannot be improved he won’t be happy!! It is a very hard decision and this is terrible thing to see a dog go through! It is heartbreaking, I don’t think I’ve ever cried more in my life than I have watching him before surgey and some now. Right now he’s too bad but he is unsteady in his feet and not in a condition he would be happy living with as a strong working dog. The surgeon said he is the first GSD he has ever seen with Wobbkers.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I want to do the right thing by him, he’s alway been highly food driven and he’s never lost his appetite, even a few weeks ago when I had to bring his food to him he still gobbled it up! If he ever looses his appetite that will probably be his sign he’s ready to go!!

I have seen stories where it took several months of acupuncture treatments to make a difference and I am willing to do that if needed.

We can only say that acupuncture was Titi’s solution. I would try it, but do you have a good Vet professional available and then find a good acupuncturist.

Mitch:
My friend Bevan once spent nearly $4,000 to cure a cat-‘Graypuss’- of life-threatening problems. People who commit like that truly understand their animal as companions’, and the love-bond between human and animal. I have had three cats, one of which passed away, and I constantly hold myself to a higher responsibility for their welfare.

Hi – my 5 year old boxer has recently been diagnosed with wobblers. His came on suddenly, and by that I mean in a day. In the morning he was fine, running around at the park, and when I got home from work he was crying in pain and was reluctant to move his neck. I ended up at the Werribbee (Australia) Vet Uni, emergency department, he had an MRI done a few days later, showing several areas of congenital malformation with his spinal canal. Needless to say I was/am shocked. We went home with Rimadyl and Gabpentin. His walking wasn’t too bad, occasional knuckling of his front paws…but the pain he was in was HORRENDOUS. He got worse over the next few days to the point where I had to carry him outside for toileting, would have to hold him up and balance him against my legs so that he could eat. 2 and a bit weeks later, he has improved greatly and is allowed a 15 minute walk a day. But his spinal cord is still “angry”, and he is on prednisolone for a few weeks.
I am really interested in Gold Bead implants, but have only found one spinal vet / acupuncturist in my state that does it. Can anyone tell me if they have found this treatment to be successful and what improvement they saw?
Keeping a 5 year old boxer calm, and trying to prevent him playing with his 15 month old brother is going to be mission impossible! I would like to be able to let him lead a relatively normal life and not stop him being him!!
Thanks
Amanda

Amanda , I have only just seen your article on your Boxer dog. please read my article 52 of April 2011 and my latest report article 62 July 2015. There are quite a few Animal Acupuncturists around and mine is in Greendale NSW.

In December 2011 Article 2011 I wrote about my Doberman Fahren who has wobblers. i am pleased to say that this boy is a mountain of energy and is enjoying his life immensly.We lead him on a harness and always present his meals chest high, Other than a major operation because of bloat he is a pleasure to have.For those with a Wobblers problem hang in there.I do thoroughly recommend acupuncture treatment.
Sincerely,

I was wondering if your acupuncturist would give a list of the points that they used to treat your dobie for wobbler’s. “Moxy” was just diagnosed two weeks ago after a sudden onset of paralysis. Luckily I was home when it happened and rushed her to the vet. She went from fully paralyzed to up and walking with help in 8hrs. She is now on steroid therapy, cold laser therapy, hydrotherapy pool, essential oils, and we would like to start acupuncture. It would be helpful to know what points your provider used so that we can see if we are getting all the ones we need to be. We are so hopeful for her recovery… she just turned 6 this week and was super fit. She is also a dedicated Therapy Dog who has helped so many adults and children in the past 4yrs. Our family and the whole community are devastated that this has happened but we are determined to give her the best chance. Thanks in advance for any help you can give us.